Method of and means for associating light and music



Jan. 15 1924. 1,481,132

M. H. GREENEWALT METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ASSOCIATING LIGHT AND MUSICFiled Aug. 30, 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet] Jan. 15, 1924. 1,481,132

M. H. GREENEWALT METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ASSOCIATING LlGHT AND MUSICFiled Aug. 30, 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 15 1924. 1,481,132

M. H. GREENEWALT METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ASSOCIATING LIGHT AND MUSICFiled Aug. 30, 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Application fil To all whom it mayconcern."

Be it known that i, MARY tinnnnnw inr, a citizen the United Stateresiding in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented lviethod of andMeans tor fiissociating Light and iitiusic, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates broadly to the association of light in variousshades or intensities, which may be accompanied by color indication orsensation, with musical notes or tones in various shadings. My inventionincludes means for producing what in some instances would be tloodliphting, and in other instances spots or zones of li ht, with orwithout color a :conipanirnent in each in stance, and in all instancesthe means ployed shall be capable of effecting desired. gradations inthe lighting effects produced, from those of the greatest lightintensity to the various degrees of what may he termincd shade ordarkness.

The ohiect of my invention is to associate with musical or articulatesounds in various tones or shades a certain arbitrary system ofbrightening or darkenin effects, with or without color accon'ipaninient,peculiarly adapted to express or to complement the emotions duced bynusical notes and tones in order that the pleasure derived by theindividual through the sense of hearing may he enhanced through thesense of sight.

it is obvious that the field in which my improved arrangements areavailable is very large, and it is also obvious that while under someconditions certain arbitrary matters must form part 0i any systemhaving, in view the correlation or complementing ,or light and shade andcolor with music, they should be capable of a large amount of tie):-ibility or elasticity in the way of adjustment to meet the widelyvarious conditions presented by the range of musical compost tionsi'lhere are many compositions or Works of classical and other music whosethemes suggest the tonal or color aspect or the atmosphere, whetherbrilliant light or shadow, twilight, or darkness. or anythin between thehighest intensity of light on the one side, and the deepest shade ofnight or blackness on the other side; and the essential object of myinvention is the provision of means whereby the music, howeverinterpreted or by whatever means, may be accompanied in the degrees ofiight of the iosp e c and other surroundings propri associated with suchmusic, and with rout ZECCOZPQPtlIliiZfiRh of color.

The means employed for attainingthis result must he highly sensitive orelastic in order that changes from high light to shade and the variouslight intensities, or rice cersa, and color to color, which may or maynot be associated with the brilliant lighting" or the deepest shades oidarkness, may grow or ebb in insensihle gradations as the loud and softnotes or tones of music can grow or ebb; or may blend with each othergradually; or may follow each other' in sharp contrast, depending uponthe arbitrary arrangement of the lighting or coloring to which anyparticular musical composition or theme is especially adapted to respondfrom the viewpoint 0t artistic and aesthetic beauty.

As be readily understood, music of a light and airy character might w llhe complenented with lighting effects which include the shades of any ofthe pri mary colors of the spectrum rays; the majestic themes may havethe higher intensities of light and the deeper or more intensecoloration; and heavy and sombre rnusical works the deeper shades andthe darker tones. It is obvious further that many different forms andtypes or" niechanisn may be employed to accomplish these results.

.These and other features or" my invention are more fully disclosedhereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings showingseveralforms 0t mechanism which may be employed within the scope of myinvention, in which: a

Figure 1, is a iragmentary diagrammatic view a lighting system withinthe scope or my invention in which light Producing means, which may beelectric lamps, are controlled by a perforated sheet such as 18employedin mechanical music players; the sheet, so employed having aiine of nerforaxtions through the instrumentality or which, acting inconnection with properly cooperative means or parts, instantaneouscontrol of the lighting; means is efiected.

Fig. 2 means which may employ to produce the desired lighting effects,with or without color accompaniment, and

Fig. 8, is a diagrammatic view of a portion of piano, organ or otherkey-played is a diagrammatic view of other C. The drawing showsautomatic controlling means. For this purpose, I prefer to use astandard type of perforated music sheet to automatically throw on andoff the light supplying medium or source, and to control the same,individually or collectively, by means of a suitable voltage regulatoror any means capable of performing the desired function.

In the system diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1; 1 represents aperforated music sheet common to mechanical music players; the samepassing over the usual tracker board 2, having the usual apertures 3controlling the musical notes or tones. in addition such sheet isprovided with additional rows of apertures 3 3 3 and 3, designed tocooperate with apertures 2 2, 2 and 2 of the tracker board 2 whereby thecontrol of the lighting or darkening intensity may be effected.

l lach light source may be controlled by a rotary switch 4, e, 4 or 4i,and these switches carry notched disks 5, 5", 5? and 5, which areactuated by ratchet pawls 6 6, 6 and 6 operatively connected to thecores of the magnetic solenoids 7, 7 7 and T, when the latter areenergized by the closing of the contacts 8", 8 8 and 8 through theexpansion oi the bellows 9*, 9 9 and 9 The general operation is asfollows:

A. suitable source of current supply, inclicated at 3.0 is provided forsupplying curthe lamps A, B and t); to the sole- 7t 7 and 7 and to thevoltage units t or or other device ll. i lhen the or hole 3" in themusic sheet regis. aperture 2 of the tracker e bellows expands andcloses the contacts 8, thus energizing the solenoid "F a d plunger orcore thereof moves upward, turning the ratchet disk 5 by the pawl '6 andoperating the rotary switch 46 which closes the main circuit.

ll hen the aperture 3 in the music sheet registers with the aperture 2*of the tracker board, the bellows 9 expands slightly, from the positionshown in Fig. in which its upper edge lightly bears against the lowersurt'ace of the contacts 8" and on its expansive movement closes thecontacts 8, thereby energizing the solenoid 7, and the plunger or corethereof moves upward, turning the ratchet disk fi by the pawl (3" and operating the rotary switch 4:". This supplies current to the lamp it.

l/Vhen the apertures 3" or 3 of the music shcct register with thecomplemental apertures 2 or 52 in the tracker board, the opand actuatethe solenoid 7 to close the switch 4?. From the above, it will be seenthat any number of apertures 3, 3", 3 013, may be made in the musicsheet so as to automatically throw on and oil any number of lightsources or lamps at the exact instance desired, and the electricalmechanism is entirely disconnected when the final aperture 3 operatesthe main rotary switch 4- While electric lamps are shown as the sourceof illumination, it will be understood that other forms of lightproducing elements may be employed under vthe control of the actuatingmechanism which cooperates with the apertured music sheet 1.

The voltage regulator 11, which is a spe cial means of varying thepressure or voltage supplied to the light sources or lamps A, B and C,is provided and arranged so that it can be controlled by a hand-lever l3which in this case, may also serve as an in dicator ot the lightintensity. This mav be connected by gears 14: and 15 to obtain therequired sensitive movement of the coil 16, which is normally stationarybut free to turn. The position of the coil 16 with re spect to themagnetic field 17 gives the voltage applied to the light source, and themovement, therefore, provides a means of varying the light intensity.

vVhile specific means are shown to obtain the desired adjustment in therelation be tween the coil l6 and the magnetic pole or field ii", anyother means of turning the coil 16 may be provided. This movement mightbe effected by a pedal, or by fluid pressure under the control of asuitable valve, which could be operated automatically by the use ofapertures in the music sheet 1; thus nnking the entire control of thelight and its intensities automatic through the use of perforations orapertures in the music sheet, which perforations may be producedsimultaneously with the perforations which control the musical notes.

i/Vhile the arrangement indicated is shown as controlling individuallamps A, ll and (l: the switches being; arranged to increase or decreasethe intensity of light at will, the lights may be arranged in banks.clusters or other combinations and in various color tones or shades. andwith color screens or other means so that any desired color etlcct maybe produced to any desired intensity or degree, and the lighting eilectsso prolltit) orportion directly surrounding the performer or performers,or disposed at any other parts of the circumambient space and withinhearing of the musical tones, as may he desired, and controlled from anypoint to give the desired unity of impression through unity of designover the space desired simultaneously; reaching the individual in threedimensional manner as sound reaches him.

I claim:

1. The combination with means for producing musical notes, of lightingmeans, means for automatically effecting changes in light produced bysaid lighting means, and means for varying the intensity of said light,both of said means being timed with the musical notes produced.

2.7 The combination with means for producing musical notes, of a sourceof illumination, means for effecting changes in the light produced bysaid source, means for varying the intensity of the said light and meansfor timing both of said means with the musical notes produced.

3. The combination with a musical instrument, of lighting means, meanscontrolled by said instrument for effecting changes in said lightingmeans, means for varying the intensities of said lighting means, andmeans I Laamaa operating in timed'relation with the sounds produced.

5. The combination with a musical instrument, a perforated sheet, andmeans whereby said perforated sheet automatically efl'ects theproduction of music by said instrument, of a lighting circuit, meanswhereby said perforated sheet controls said circuit, and

means for varying the intensity of the light produced by the lightingcircuit.

6. The combination with a musical instrument, of colored lamps, meanswhereby said instrument selectively illuminates said lamps, and manuallycontrolled means for varying the intensities of the light produced bythe said lamps in timed relation to the musical tones produced by thesaid instrument.

7. The method of associating musical sounds with accompanyingillumination, which consists in providing a source of light,automatically effecting changes in the color of said light, and varyingthe intensity of the light produced in timed relation to the musicaltones produced.

MARY HALLUCK 'GREENEWALT.

